We understand facing employee theft charges in Fort Lauderdale on your own can be overwhelming, but the expert theft lawyers at Rossen Law Firm are here to guide you through every step of this process. Contact us today to speak with an experienced South Florida employee theft lawyer today.
What is Employee Theft?
Employee Theft is very similar to petit theft and grand theft in the sense that they all are defined as unlawfully taking money or property from an individual with the intent to permanently deprive them of their money or property.
As a South Florida attorney can further explain, the key difference is that the theft is against an employer. Legally, theft crimes may only be categorized and charged as grand theft or petit theft depending on how much was stolen but the term employee theft is meant to specify the location in which the crime occurred.
Find the legal definition of theft on our theft page.
CONSEQUENCES OF EMPLOYEE THEFT CRIMES IN FORT LAUDERDALE
Employee Theft Crime consequences in Fort Lauderdale are organized into two categories; Petit Theft (misdemeanor) and Grand Theft (felony), depending on the value of the property that was stolen. A local attorney can go into mor detail about the differences and similarities between these theft charges.
If the stolen property is valued at less than $750, then the crime is a form of petit theft.
If the stolen property is valued at less than $100, the crime of petit theft is a second-degree misdemeanor. A second-degree misdemeanor carries consequences of up to 60 days in jail, and fines of up to $500.
If the stolen property is valued between $100 and $750, the crime of petit theft is a first-degree misdemeanor. A first-degree misdemeanor carries consequences of up to one year in jail, and fines of up to $1,000.
If the stolen property is valued at more than $750, then the crime is a form of grand theft.
If the stolen property is valued at less than $20,000 but more than $750, the crime of grand theft is a third-degree felony. A third-degree felony carries consequences of up to 5 years in jail, and fines of up to $5,000.
If the stolen property is valued at less than $100,000 but more than $20,000, the crime of grand theft is a second-degree felony. A second-degree felony carries consequences of up to 15 years in jail, and fines of up to $10,000.
If the stolen property is valued at more than $100,000, the crime of grand theft is a first-degree felony. A first-degree felony carries consequences of up to 30 years in jail, and fines of up to $10,000.
EMPLOYEE THEFT CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY IN SOUTH FLORIDA
If you’re facing an employee theft charge in Fort Lauderdale – we are here to help you through this difficult time. Rossen Law Firm has extensive experience in employee theft defense and we can guarantee that we will work as hard as we can to get you the best result for your case.
Give our office a call if you’re facing employee theft charges. We’ll listen to everything you have to say, answer any questions you have, and discuss the best action plan for you. Our expert South Florida employee theft lawyers believe that bad things can happen to good people and a mistake shouldn’t have the power to ruin your life – and we’ll fight to make sure it doesn’t.
Employee Theft Defenses
- Insufficient Evidence: If the evidence that the State has against the accused employee is not enough for a criminal conviction to occur then the defense of insufficient evidence can be used. Insufficient evidence includes no confession from the accused, no testimonies from other employees, no eyewitnesses, or video footage.
- Intent: One of the elements of an employee theft accusation that the State needs to prove in order for a criminal conviction to occur is intent. Without enough evidence that the employee accused intentionally stole property, a criminal conviction cannot take place.
- Mistake of Fact: If the employee was under the mistaken belief that the property he took was his own the criminal defense of Mistake of Fact can be used. You are working in the office and decide to head out for the day. First, you go to the bathroom and come back to pack your stuff. Only to pack a laptop that looks just like yours but is not. If you were charged, your defense attorney could argue that you did not intentionally take the laptop and have the charges dropped.
Free Employee Theft Criminal Defense Strategy Session in South Florida
We handle every type of theft cases including employee theft. We work hard to fight for your freedom and provide you with personalized and detail-oriented defense strategies for your criminal charges.
Others call them consultations but we offer FREE strategy sessions to show you the various strategies we can use to give you the best outcome for your case.
HOW WE WIN LOCAL THEFT CASES
- Learn how we got theft charges dismissed in Broward County.
- Learn how we got a petit theft charge dropped in Plantation, Florida.